And we begin in Syria with reports of another village burying its dead sparking outrage in Syria and across the world.

A (inaudible) to Japan's powerful and devastating tsunami ends up halfway across the world.

And can Spain complete a rare hattrick by winning their third major football tournament in four years?

Now first a report of a horrifying new massacre in Syria just hours before world powers meet on the crisis gripping the country. Now the slaughter that allegedly happened in a tiny village north of Damascus in Hamul (ph) province. And Syrian opposition activists say at least 78 people were killed, including dozens of women and children.

Now as always with Syria no incident passes without claims and counterclaims. Now Syrian opposition activists blame the massacre on Syrian government troops. And this video was posted on YouTube. It reports to show some of the victims. And it seems to show about 10 bodies. Although activists claim that dozens more were killed.

Now activists say government forces pummeled the village with tank shells for an hour and then they say militia loyal to the government and armed with knives, guns, and AK-47s went through the village on foot killing anyone they found.

But for every claim made, there is a denial. Syrian state TV reports that nine people were killed, not dozens, and it blames, quote, an armed terrorist group for the slaughter.

Now Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has also blamed terrorists for another massacre in the town of Houla just two weeks ago. And Arwa Damon joins us now from Beirut, Lebanon. And Arwa, what are you hearing about this new latest massacre in Hama?

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you were saying there, Kristie, opposition activists are saying that up to 77, 78 -- we're hearing conflicting numbers, perhaps even more people were killed from this tiny little village, really not much more than a cluster of homes. Opposition activists are also saying that this was very much an attack in sectarian nature, that the intent was to try to stir up sectarian tensions and really propel the nation towards this civil war, that word on so many - - being echoed by so many people now from inside that country.

Now we've been speaking to a number of opposition activists. We're trying to figure out exactly where those UN monitors are. Activists were telling us that they did contact them as soon as this massacre took place, that they were in touch with them overnight. There is a group of monitors that is based in the city of Hama, around 20 to 25 kilometers away.

As far as we have been able to gather from the opposition these UN monitors have been trying to reach this village of Kubir (ph), but so far they have been unable to do so. We've also, of course, been attempting to contact the UN team on the ground. We're having no luck getting through to them just there. We are going to keep pursuing that.

The Syrian government, as you were mentioning there, continuing to blame this violence on armed terrorist groups. And these two diverging, conflicting narratives when it comes to events in Syria, we've been hearing this since the onset of the uprising. But it just goes to show you how complex and more complex the situation there is most certainly going to become, Kristie.

LU STOUT: And Arwa, will this report of another slaughter in Syria, will it end the deadlock at the United Nations? We know that Kofi Annan will soon be there to brief the general assembly -- the security council.

DAMON: You know, Kristie, many will tell you that the tragedy and all of this is that no matter how horrific the images coming out of Syria are, no matter how chilling the stories of what is actually transpiring there are, nothing is really serving to bring global leaders together when it comes to the uprising in Syria. Many said that perhaps after the massacre we thought taking place in Houla some two weeks ago that left at least 109 people dead, almost half of them children under the age of 10 that that perhaps would serve as some sort of a game changer.

But following that we still saw the polarization of the security council where you firmly have western nations on one side supported by the Gulf and on the other side you've got Iran, China, and Russia -- China and Russia so far still not backing down, still saying that they will absolutely not support any sort of military intervention. And that any sort of regime change must come from within Syria.

So it's highly unlikely, no matter how severe what's happening in Syria, is that is in fact going to serve to be that critical changing point when it comes to trying to find a resolution for what is most certainly becoming an even bloodier crisis by the day.

LU STOUT: A resolution unlikely here.

Arwa Damon reporting, thank you very much indeed Arwa.

And this escalating crisis in Syria is taking center stage at the UN. International mediator Kofi Annan will brief the UN general assembly in just about two hours. And later, it's the UN security council's term.

Now Mr. Annan, he has held talks with Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president last month as global outrage surged over the reported mass killing of men, women, and children in Syria. And just a short time ago, the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that Mr. al-Assad must leave power. Now she called reports of the latest massacre in Hama province unconscionable.

Now the Secretary of State has been urging China and Russia to back a political transition for Syria, but Moscow and Beijing, they're putting up a united front of resistance. In a joint statement, the Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao said they oppose foreign military intervention, or a forced change of regime.

Now Mr. Putin, he was in the Chinese capital for the Shanghai cooperation organization summit. And Beijing bureau chief Jaime Florcruz takes a closer look at whether Russia and China may change their stance on Syria as international pressure ramps up.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAIME FLORCRUZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional bloc lead by China and Russia, took a common stand on the Syrian crisis today, calling for dialogue to resolve the crisis. In a joint statement issued at the end of their two day summit in Beijing the member states stressed the need to stop violence on the territory of Syria wherever it is coming from. The statement said they respect broad, nationwide dialogue based on independent territorial integrity and sovereignty of Syria.

They say they opposed military interference in the region. They oppose forced regime change. And they also oppose unilateral sanctions. Instead, they restated support for the mediation efforts by UN special envoy Kofi Annan who is expected to report to the security council this week and present a new proposal to push his failing peace plan.

China and Russia are important players in the United Nations. They wield veto powers as permanent members of the UN security council. And they have used their veto powers in recent past. They have, for example, vetoed a draft resolution calling on President al-Assad to step down. Last week, they vetoed a draft resolution condemning last month's Houla massacre.

Still, pressure is building on Russia and China to be part of the solution. This week, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Russia and China to, quote, be part of the solution by supporting a transition -- a political transition that called for Assad to step down. However, judging from the tone of the joint statement issued today, it seems unlikely that Russia and China are going to change their stand on Syria any time soon.

Jaime Florcruz, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now it looks like Russian hackers have got their hands on millions of passwords from LinkedIn. The social network confirmed that some of the passwords match LinkedIn accounts, but wouldn't give any more details about the size of the breach or how it happened. And if you're worried about people being able to access your LinkedIn account? Well, the good news is that the breach doesn't include user names, only passwords.

But if you use common passwords, people might be able to get them anyway. And here's a list of some of the more common passwords used on the site. And yes it seems that people actually use the passwords LinkedIn and LinkedOut.

Now Facebook's IPO saga continues, but this time it's perhaps some welcome news for some investors. The NASDAQ stock exchange says it will spend $40 million to compensate trading firms for losses caused by technical glitches. Now last month, orders for the IPO overwhelmed the NASDAQ system leaving some brokers in the dark about the transactions and open to losses.

But some firms say the offer does not come close to covering their losses with estimates running as high as $200 million. This offer only covers trading firms and not individual investors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT GREIFELD, NASDAQ CEO: The $40 million is coming from the NASDAQ OMEX balance sheet. Obviously 10.7 of it is from the error account. So we got -- to be clear with that. With respect to investor lawsuits, again they are not our customers. Our customers are the member broker dealers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: And it is not a done deal yet. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission still needs to approve the offer.

Now still ahead here on NEWS STREAM, Canadian police investigate human body parts sent to two schools. Is there a link with the case against a man charged with killing and dismembering a university student?

Open for business, Myanmar makes strides in economic reform to lure investors and business to the country.

And a long way from home: What some beach combers found along the shores of Oregon from across the Pacific Ocean.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now family members of a Chinese university student whose dismembered body is at the center of a Canadian murder investigation have arrived in Montreal. And police believe Candian Luka Magnotta murdered this man, Lin Jun, and then mailed body parts to politicians. Magnotta has since been arrested in Berlin. And some of Lin's family have already spoken with investigators.

Now prior to his arrest, Magnotta had built up a huge online footprint that investigators say may help in the case against him. Now Magnotta managed several blogs, had his own website, and may have had more than 70 Facebook pages under various names. And police believed he also uploaded a number of videos to YouTube, including three separate videos he may have posted while he was on the run.

LU STOUT: Now police say that Magnotta will not fight extradition to Canada to face first degree murder charges. And police are also tying him to four severed body parts posted in the mail.

Now the latest to arrive earlier this week in the Canadian city of Vancouver. We get more on that from Sarah Galashan from our affiliate CTV.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH GALASHAN, CTV CORRESPONDENT: Parents dropping their children off at two Vancouver schools today were wary of other recent deliveries.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, it was awful. I was thinking how could this happen in our community.

GALASHAN: Yesterday, Falls Creek Elementary received a human hand in the mail. Over at St. George's private school, the junior campus reported a foot was delivered by Canada post.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The children are a bit nervous.

GALASHAN: How do you feel about it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's just a crazy person.

GALASHAN: Within hours, police connected the packages to Luka Magnotta, the Canadian man accused of murdering and dismembering Chinese student Lin Jun in Montreal.

COMMANDER IAN LAFRENIERE, MONTREAL POLICE: First of all, we're talking about the same body parts that we were looking for which is the right hand and the right foot. Secondly, it was shipped from Montreal, we know that as a fact.

GALASHAN: But why the body parts were sent to two schools on the other side of the country?

LAFRENIERE: People asking why, why Vancouver? Why two schools? I'm going to ask you the same question, why Ottowa? Why two political parties?

GALASHAN: The international man hunt for Magnotta was sparked soon after the victim's left hand and foot arrived in Ottowa addressed to the Federal Liberal and Conservative parties. And Lin Jun's decapitated, mutilated torso was discovered in a suitcase in this Montreal alley near the building where Magnotta lived.

LAFRENIERE: We also know for a fact he used to be on the West Coast, the American West Coast. Was he in Vancouver? It's possible. I don't have the confirmation yet.

GALASHAN: According to his lawyer, it's something Magnotta might be willing to explain. Apprehended in Germany, he awaits extradition.

EVELYN ASCHER, LUKA MAGNOTTA'S LAWYER: All he wanted to do is go back to Canada and then maybe the problem can be cleared up.

GALASHAN: As for the body parts, the hand and foot that turned up in Vancouver, are now part of Montreal's investigation. Police there say there is still one important piece of their case missing, Lin Jun's head. At this point where and when it might turn up is anyone's guess.

Sarah Galashan, CTV News, Vancouver.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is praising Australia's decision to further roll back sanctions against her country. Now Suu Kyi met with Australian foreign minister Bob Carr in Yangon. In a joint news conference, she said her country deserves the benefit of the doubt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AUNG SAN SUU KYI, MYANMAR PARLIAMENTARY MEMBER: Oh, we've discussed the matter of sanctions. And I said that I am in favor of suspended sanctions, because that makes it quite clear that good behavior will be rewarded. And if the good behavior is not maintained, the rewards can also be taken away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: And as Myanmar opens up, investors are moving in. Paula Hancocks looks at the benefits and the risks of doing business there in an uncertain time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Myanmar's main port is a height of activity. With 90 percent of the country's foreign trade passing through here, the port of Yangon is rarely quiet. Day laborers arrive at the crack of dawn to see if they can get work. In the sweltering heat of the day, it is grueling labor. But there are precious few other opportunities for them to earn money.

Ho Tin Win (ph) is 32-years-old and manages to send just over $1 a day back to his family in the countryside. He says it just about covers food, but that's all.

"I don't know if there will be work," he says. "I have to come here every morning whether there's a job or not."

Myanmar has sunk from being one of the most prosperous countries in Asia to one of the poorest. Despite being nestled between the powerhouses of India and China, half a century of military rule has ensured economic isolation. But that is changing.

Economic reforms are happening in tandem with political reforms here in Myanmar. The new civilian government is very keen to prove to the world that Myanmar is open for business. And it's no longer such a risky investment.

A recent oil and gas conference in Yangon attracted potential investors from around the world. As sanctions are being eased to reward political reforms, the queue of those who want to make money here is long.

David LaPrade heads up a U.S. company which struck a deal to supply a local company with oil detection and drilling technologies. He believes the benefits outweigh the risks.

J. DAVID JAPRADE, PRESIDENT, USR DRILLING SERVICES: So you come in early. You may stump your toe, you may make mistakes. All potential new frontiers are full of landmines, so to speak, business landmines. You've got to come in early to have that opportunity.

HANCOCKS: Investment conditions are definitely improving. And new investment law has been drafted, setting out tax exemptions and relieves land use terms, and giving potential investors a clearer legal infrastructure to work within.

The central bank also launched a managed floated its currency in April. In the past, the official rate was more than 100 times stronger than the multiple black market rate making official business costly.

But the increased investor interest is not necessarily translating into an instant influx of investment.

TONY PICON, COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL: There's a lot of kicking of tires in Myanmar at the moment. And that's where the frustration is occurring. And lots of business delegations are coming to Myanmar, but not putting money on the table, and for good reason at the moment. They're waiting to see what happens in the next few months.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now coming up here on NEWS STREAM, we are counting down to Euro 2012. Now once perennial losers, we'll see if Spain can continue their incredible run of international success. Stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Live from Hong Kong, you're back watching NEWS STREAM.

In 2008, they were crowned champions of Europe. And then two years later, they became champions of the world. Now Spain's national football team are trying to complete a historic hat trick by winning their third major tournament in a row. Pedro Pinto takes a look at their chances.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PEDRO PINTO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Spanish football is in its golden era. By winning Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Spain became only the third team in history to hoist these trophies back to back. No national side has ever won three major tournaments in a row, but can La Roja rewrite the history books?

IKER CASILLAS, SPAIN CAPTAIN (through translator): I think this one might be the most difficult of all, because in the first titles you have the excitement of something new and the second one there is work, effort, and the knowledge that we haven't done it before. Our third one would be the hardest, because winning three international championships in a row is something no one has ever achieved before.

ANDRES INIESTA, SPAIN MIDFIELDER (through translator): It's a beautiful challenge, but a very tough one as well. We will do our best. Spain has been playing very well, so I hope we can keep it going.

PINTO: Spain are scene by most as the favorites to win Euro 2012. And its easy to see why, they won all of their qualifying games for the tournament. And their statistics since their title winning cycle began in 2006 are simply sublime. La Roja's record in competitive matches over the last six years reads: played 48, won 42, drawn 2, and lost just 4. That translates to a winning percentage of 87.5.

If there is one factor that may hurt their chances this summer is injuries. David Villa, the national team's all-time leading scorer and inspirational defender Carlos Puyol are both sidelined. Still, the captain believes that in their absence other players will step into the limelight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Well, I think our group is more or less the same, although we have some last minute setbacks with Puyol and Villa. But there is the reappearance of David Silva who was our main player at first for a few years, then he disappeared into the background and then became a main player again.

The truth is, some players have appeared bit by bit, while others have grown and developed a lot more as footballers.

PINTO: Experts agree David Silva is definitely one of them. Fresh off winning the Premier League title with Manchester City many believe he can become a key player for the national team. The same can be said about Cesc Fabregas.

BEGONA PEREZ, SPANISH JOURNALIST: I think Silva will play a hero. You can't forget Fabregas. He's having great contribution at (inaudible). He's decent even if he doesn't start all of the games, but both Silva and Febregas they are playing a new aspect of the team which is the hold striker coming from the midfield to score.

PINTO: Whether its Silva, Cesc, or some of the more established national team starts like Xavi and Andres Iniesta who shined, one thing is for sure, Spain will be there or thereabouts. Recent history has shown that.

Pedro Pinto, CNN, Warsaw.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: You're watching NEWS STREAM. And coming up, Republican fingers are pointed at White House staff over the leaking of classified national security information.

And it's not your typical ocean flotsam and jetsam, a giant piece of Japanese infrastructure washes up on the other side of the Pacific.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching NEWS STREAM. And these are your world headlines. Now Syrian opposition activists say a new massacre has taken place in a tiny village north of Damascus. They see government forces killed at least 78 people including dozens of women and children. The Syrian government blames terrorists.

Now the allegations come just hours before international mediator Kofi Annan briefs the UN general assembly and security council on the crisis in Syria.

Now U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is condemning the violence in Syria. She is calling for a full transfer of power. And she is urging Russia and China's support for that. Now Clinton describes the situation in Syria as unconscionable.

The German Chancellor is urging EuroZone countries to embrace a closer political union as a cure to Europe's financial woes. Angela Merkel's comments come ahead of a meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron. Mr. Cameron is expected to urge the German Chancellor to order rescues for struggling countries like Greece and Spain.

The NADAQ stock exchange is offering $40 million as compensation to brokers affected by technical glitches in Facebook's share sale last month. Now firms claim they suffered losses when the problems left brokers in the dark about their transactions. Now the deal needs to be approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The U.S. Defense Secretary has issued a strong warning to Pakistan and to militant groups based there who attack American troops across the border in Afghanistan. Now Leon Panetta made the comments while on a visit to Kabul on Thursday. And joining me now live with the details from Kabul is CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom.

Mohammed, what was Panetta's warning to Pakistan?

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, very strong language from Secretary of Defense Panetta today. Essentially this was because of the Al Haqqani terrorist network. This is an al Qaeda linked group based in Pakistan. And the U.S. has long said that they conduct cross border attacks. They come into Afghanistan to specifically target U.S. troops here.

Secretary Panetta was in a meeting with his counterpart, Minister of Defense Abdul Rahim Wardak here in Kabul today. Here's more of what he had to say about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEON PANETTA, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: But we are reaching the limits of our patience here. And for that reason, it is extremely important that Pakistan take action to prevent this kind of safe haven from taking place and from allowing terrorists to use their country as a safety net in order to conduct their attacks on our forces.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JAMJOOM: Secretary Panetta also met today with U.S. officials here. And he spoke a lot about the concern about the security situation here. He acknowledged these attacks that happened yesterday, he acknowledged the fact that attacks recently had become more coordinated in nature. Just yesterday in Kandahar City you had twin suicide bombings that killed over 20 and injured at least 50 people. Yesterday was the deadliest day for civilians here in Afghanistan this entire year.

Secretary Panetta said that they have been expecting attacks of this nature, but they still needed to assess them, to investigate to see where things stand.

This is all coming at a very critical time here when it comes to the security transition process. In the last several months you've seen more and more regions and provinces in Afghanistan that are being turned over. Instead of the NATO led forces being in the lead as it comes to security and responsibility for security in these regions. Now it's Afghan security forces that are taking the lead. The NATO led forces taking more of a backseat, a supporting role.

But because these attacks keep happening, and especially in light of the attacks yesterday, some concern now about whether or not these Afghan security forces are actually ready to take the lead when it comes to security here in Afghanistan --Kristie.

LU STOUT: That's right, the critical time. A violent time there in Afghanistan.

Mohammed, have U.S. official said anything more about allegations that 18 civilians were killed in a NATO airstrike in Logar province yesterday?

JAMJOOM: Hey, Kristie. They've not issued any more statements when it comes to that air strike. The last we heard from them was last night when they told us that this all happened because there was a raid on a house there, that there was a crossfire incident between U.S. coalition forces and Afghan security forces, that it was a joint operation. They were targeting the leader of Taliban unit there. And they said yesterday that it was two women who got injured, but they acknowledge that they'd heard these allegations that there were civilian casualties and that they were going to investigate.

We did get a statement of condemnation from President Hamid Karzai earlier today. He said that this kind of violence was unacceptable, that these type of airstrikes should not happen, especially when they endanger the lives of civilians here in Afghanistan -- Kristie.

LU STOUT: Mohammed Jamjoom reporting live from Kabul. Thank you very much indeed for that.

Now it's a presidential election year in the United States. And everything that appears in the media is being closely scrutinized by both sides of the political divide. And recently there has been a spate of stories featuring classified information. And they paint President Obama as being strong on national security, but that has led to accusations from Republicans that the leaks are coming from the White House.

Brianna Keilar has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORREPSONDENT: Early May, reports of the U.S. thwarting a plot in Yemen to build an undetectable airplane bomb; last week, a New York Times story detailing President Obama's close oversight of a terrorist kill list, then another describing an aggressive cyber attack that slowed development of Iran's nuclear program. Senator John McCain is now accusing the White House of purposefully leaking classified information for political gain.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: They cite leaked classified or highly sensitive information in what appears to be a broader administration effort to paint a portrait of the president of the United States as a strong leader on national security issues. The release of this information in these articles harms our national security and puts in danger the lives of the men and women who are sworn to protect it.

KEILAR: White House officials vehemently deny the charge. Press Secretary Jay Carney said Wednesday any suggestion that this administration has authorized intentional leaks of classified information for political gain is grossly irresponsible.

President Obama's national security successes like killing Osama bin laden and taking out a number of other al Qaeda leaders are a political asset in an election year. Republicans are no doubt trying to tarnish those accomplishments. But concerns about the leaks are bipartisan. Dianne Feinstein, the Democratic chair of the Senate intelligence committee said she was, quote, deeply disturbed by the continuing leaks of classified information to the media. She and Karl Levin, the Democrat who heads up the Senate armed service committee are discussing a joint hearing into the leaks.

The FBI is now investigating the leak involving the cyber attack on Iran. And Senator McCain, along with another Republican senator Saxby Chambliss is calling for special counsel to investigate the leaks.

Brianna Keilar, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now a huge piece of debris from last year's tsunami in Japan has washed up on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. The 20 meter long dock is made of concrete and metal. And it was spotted floating in the water before washing up on a beach in Oregon. Now the Japanese consulate has confirmed that the writing and tires on the dock were indeed from Japan. No word yet on what's going to happen to such a large piece of salvage.

Now it is just the latest chunk of debris to make it across the Pacific after last year's tsunami disaster. And also tracking the debris drift is our Mari Ramos. She joins us from the world weather center -- Mari.

MARI RAMOS, CNN WEATHER CORREPSONDENT: You know what, Kristie, maybe years before we get to the bottom of this story, because there is so much debris out there in the ocean, at least that's what they expect. Most of the debris stands just off the coast of Japan right after the tsunami. There were millions of tons of debris. But there's a lot of that, that began floating out to sea. So what happened was they lost track of it on the radar back in April just about a month after the tsunami, about a month-and-a-half after the quake and tsunami actually occurred.

The reason they lost it on satellite is because a lot of it began to sink, the heaviest pieces they believe actually sank to the bottom of the ocean, but there's still so much debris out there. And it is being carried along by the ocean currents.

The three main ocean currents here in question is going to be this one here to the north taking the debris over to Alaska and also to the coast of the U.S. The dock that you just showed us showed up in this area right in here on this beach off the Oregon coastline. And like you said it is one of the largest pieces of debris that has been found.

There's a lot of concerns with debris this size, not only how do you get rid of it, how do you clean it up. Number two, is there is more out there. When is it going to get here. And the other thing that has environmentalists concerned is all of this marine life that is attached to this dock. They said that they had found certain types of species that are endemic to Japan, that don't live on this side of the world. And they say that this could actually be a danger to the ecosystem because so many of those have made the trip alive and they are alive and well and they may have already be in the ecosystem and in the waters here. So that's a concern.

So they are monitoring all of these things. And you've got to remember this is not the first piece of debris, this is just probably one of the largest. We had other pieces of debris that have washed up. Remember the ghost ship back in February? That one was off the coast of Alaska. And NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard actually ended up blowing up the ship just off the coast there to avoid it ever coming on shore and becoming even more of a hassle.

And then there was that Harley Davidson motorcycle that was found in British Columbia. Remember that one? It was actually found inside a container. It looked like the back of one of those box trucks in -- from Japan. Well, that one is actually going to a museum now in this -- there you see the Harley Davidson completely covered in rust there.

So just example after example of what is beginning to happen. We had that story with Casey Wian, remember, in Alaska also where there were along the beaches many of the beaches uninhabited where pieces of foam and smaller pieces of debris were also washing up.

So they're asking for people's help. You know, maybe you're in Alaska, but maybe you're manner, maybe you've seen some of this stuff. So you're saying you know whenever you see this kind of debris email them, disasterdebris@noaa.gov. They want to be able to try to track this and put the information and put it into the models and see if they can help determine when this stuff will actually reach the shoreline. You can follow them at Twitter too @debristracker.

And then there's an app for your iPhone or your Droid at marinedebris.noaa.gov. You can go there and try to find it.

But this tsunami debris is actually going to be around for a long time, because the larger pieces and most of the debris they say still out in the ocean.

Let's go ahead and look at your city by city forecast.

And we've got some pretty strong storms that are rolling across southern parts of the UK and northern France. Look at this, wow. Some very strong thunderstorms, very strong winds expected with this as well.

Now I want to go ahead and zoom out a little bit and show you just the western portions of Europe. You can see the rain extending all the way from Ireland through the southern half of the UK. Winds not out of the question here, maybe up to 70, 80 kilometers per hour within these lines of storms and the possibility of even more intense weather. You can see these lines that are forming right over here across central France. You see these right there, those are some very intense thunderstorms, the possibility of not only damaging winds, flooding rain, but also isolated tornadoes quite possible.

It is a little bit out of season to see such a strong storm here so particularly in the UK they're warning people to be extra careful and be aware that there is a strong storm along this area. We'll be monitoring it of course. And let's hope, Kristie, no tornadoes come out of this. Back to you.

Now it is ladies day at the French Open. Here's hoping the weather won't affect the situation there. But Maria Sharapova, she is trying to reach her first ever French Open final today. And we'll preview the day ahead with Amanda Davies next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now it is rest day for the men in Paris, so Thursday French Open action is all about the ladies. Amanda Davies is here. She's got the latest -- Amanda.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORTS CORREPSONDENT: Hi, Kristie. Yep, it's women's semifinal day at the French Open as the match up we're becoming pretty familiar with at Grand Slams later on. The second match of the day will see Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic take on Russia's former world number one Maria Sharapova. It's the third time in four grand slams the pair have met, and the repeat of last year's Wimbledon final of course.

Sharapova lost on the grass last year. So she's out for revenge as she bids to claim the only grand slam that she's yet to win. Second seed through to her third semifinal at Roland Garos, but she's never gone any further on the clay than this. Kvitova, though, was given a pretty tough examination by the world number 142, Yaroslava Shvedova in her quarterfinal. She dropped a set before going on to win 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.

She's had a pretty frustrating time since winning her first grand slam at Wimbledon and yet to win a title this year. So she's not expecting an easy ride today.

There was meant to be the first match currently up on court. The U.S. Open Champions Sam Stosur is taking on Italy's Sara Errani, the only player in the last four without a grand slam to her name. But I'm afraid to say rain has delayed the start of play in Roland Garos. So that one is still 0-0. Players haven't even made it onto the court yet.

OK, well Euro 2012 kicks off on Friday. And the UEFA president Michel Platini said that any players who walk off the pitch during a tournament due to racial abuse will be booked. The Manchester City and Italy striker Mario Balotelli has threatened to walk off if he was the victim of abuse. But speaking ahead of the start of the competition, Platini has said it's the referees, not the players, who are in charge of dealing with racist incidents on the pitch. He says it's the referee who makes these decisions. Referee can finish the game. They have this power in cases of racism.

That is, I think, the best way to protect the game against racism. The referee has been given advice and he can stop the game if there are problems.

Oklahoma City Thunder have reached the NBA championship finals for the first time after coming from behind to beat the San Antonio Spurs 107-99 to win the Western Conference finals 4-2. The Thunder went into game six knowing that victory would take them to the finals for the first time since moving to Oklahoma City. But it was the Spurs who were quicker out of the blocks moving ahead by 18 points at one time. Tony Parker scoring seventeen of his 29 points in the first quarter.

Kevin Durant lead the comeback for the Thunder, though. Here he is giving his side the lead in the third quarter with a 3-pointer on the way to his 34 points.

And with 30 seconds left in the game with the Thunder leading by four, a Durant nice bounce pass to Kendrick Perkins for the dagger slam. That's it. Victory 107-99. So Sunday into the finals where they'll face either the Boston Celtics or Miami Heat, who contest game six later on Thursday.

Well, to the NHL Stanley Cup final where Tinsel Town was buzzing with excitement as their eighth seed L.A. Kings hope to make history as the lowest seed ever to win the Stanely Cup. As you might expect, the historic occasion caught the attention of one of Hollywood's brightest stars.

DAVIES: Well, in true Hollywood fashion the Devils provided a twist in the script, handing the Kings a game four defeat. So L.A. still that win away from that third Stanley Cup. It's now 3-1 in the best of seven series.

Devils up 1-0 when Drew Doughty fired the slap shot to pull even. The Staples Center erupted. But it was short-lived. Under five minutes left in regulation, Devils on the move. David Clarkson sends a cross-eyed pass to Adam Henrique to make it 2-1. And the devils added an empty net goal to win it 3-1 to send the series back to New Jersey for game five.

The big question is whether Will Ferrell will be heading to game 5 as well, isn't it Kristie?

LU STOUT: I hope so. I mean, he's got that Blades of Glory thing going on. He just loves the ice, anyway. Great sport. Great cheerleader there. Amanda Davies, thank you very much indeed for that.

Now the discovery of some old papers is shedding new light on the assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Now Brian Todd has this report on the newly discovered notes of a doctor who literally had a front row seat to one of America's darkest moments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He was 23-years-old, embarking on a promising career and attending a happening event in Washington. Sitting at Fords Theater for a production of the play Our American Cousin, Dr. Charles Leale also sat on the brink of history.

HELENA PAPAIOANNOU, PAPERS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN: He hadn't been out of medical school for very long at all. And so I think this is very -- this is certainly thrown in at the deep end.

TODD: Helena Papaioannou, a researcher with the group Papers of Abraham Lincoln, has just made an astounding discovery: a copy of Dr. Charles Leale's handwritten report on what he went through as the first doctor to get to President Lincoln in the moments after he was shot. She believes Leale may have written his report the very next day.

Dr. Leale was in an ideal position to try to help. He writes that at the time of the shooting, he was sitting in that balcony area where those tourists are right about there only about 40 feet away from Lincoln's box.

The fatal shot was fired. Leale wrote, a man of low stature with lack hair and eyes was seen leaping to the stage beneath. Dr. Leale rushed toward the stricken president.

One of the most riveting parts of his report is what he encounters as soon as he gets into Lincoln's booth.

When the door was open and he saw Mary Lincoln, Leale wrote she exclaimed several times, oh doctor do what you can for him, do what you can.

Leale wrote that he sent one man to get water, another to get brandy. He first thought Lincoln had been stabbed, because he'd just seen John Wilkes Booth jump to the stage with a dagger in his hand. Then he found where the bullet had entered Lincoln's head.

Leale said Lincoln's condition was such he knew he would never make it to the White House. The only alternative, take him across the street to the Peterson House.

Then they finally bring Lincoln into this room in the Peterson House across the street. And Helena, what happens then?

PAPAIOANNOU: They bring him in here and the bed, which (inaudible), but they bring him in here and the bed is too small for him. He's a very large guy, 6 foot 4. And so to make him more comfortable, instead of having him hanging off the bed, they laid him diagonally across the bed. And Leale actually writes about that.

TODD: At that moment, an account that strikes Papaioannou's emotional core.

PAPAIOANNOU: He talks about how the president's legs, his lower extremities, so from the knees down were cold. And they brought him hot water bottles and hot blankets. And I find that very touching part.

TODD: Leale wrote clinically of the president's deterioration. Then at 7:20 am he breathed his last. It's in the very last line of his report that Dr. Leale seems to finally be absorbed in what just happened to his nation. He writes that immediately after Lincoln's death, quote, "we all bowed and the Reverend Doctor Gurley supplicated to God in behalf of the bereaved family and our afflicted country."

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Wow, new revelations there.

Now up next here on NEWS STREAM, the case of the rambunctious pup. This dog might look all sweet and innocent here, but we'll tell you how her capers almost got her the name Jughead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now as any dog owner knows, keeping a canine under control can sometimes be a challenge. Well, a pooch's sense of adventure went a bit too far when she got her head trapped. But Jeanne Moos reports there was a unique solution to this unusual doggy dilemma.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've seen a squirrel driven squirrly by a cup stuck on his head, and skunk that would have preferred skipping the jar of peanut butter. But when this photo went out over Facebook, animal lovers in Memphis knew they had to act.

BETH GRESHAM, DOG RESCUER: We just had to get her. She doesn't have a whole lot of time with that over her head.

MOOS: Beth Gresham took the photo after friends spotted the pit bull mix in a wooded area off Interstate 41. The frightened dog ran back into the woods and Beth put out the alert on Facebook. Plastic containers stuck over this baby's head cannot eat or drink. 10 to 20 people at a time went out searching. By late the next day.

CHESTER BURNS, FOUND DOG: I saw him coming down the pathway with the jug on his head.

MOOS: Chester Burns said he had to corner the dog against the fence with his Jeep. They used wire cutter to cut off the jar.

Now obviously any dog that's getting her 15 minutes of fame is going to need a name.

People suggested Pickle, Jughead, Astro after the Jetson's dog. And her head wear did resemble the first dog the Soviet's sent into space. Not to mention the movie Spacedog.

But rather than a floating astronaut, her temporary owner says.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's an angel.

MOOS: They named her Miracle.

Jesse Sidle, an animal hospital vet tech says she ate ravenously from the moment they got the jar off.

JESSE SIDLE, DOG'S FOSTER OWNER: Good girl.

MOOS: Dog food, cat food, a rotisserie chicken.

SIDLE: She was starving. She was 27.7 pounds. And she should be around 45 pounds.

MOOS: X-rays showed a broken pelvis and fractured jaw. She may have been hit by a car.

SIDLE: Somebody shot her with a BB gun down here.

MOOS: But already she's gained five pounds and is up for adoption.

She may no longer be stuck in a jaw.

BURNS: Remember that?

MOOS: She got stuck doing her first Skype interview.

Miracle. Here Miracle. Does she answer to her name?

SIDLE: Not yet.

MOOS: The pickle she was in raised eyebrows, or in miracles case eyebrow.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now fans all over the world are saying farewell to Ray Bradbury, the sci-fi author behind the Martian Chronicles. Now his books and 600 short stories foretold a variety of things from ATM machines to live broadcasts of fugitive car chases. Now Bradbury influenced authors, film directors, even the crew of the Apollo 15. They were so inspired by Bradbury's book of dandelion wine that they named a lunar crater after it.

And though he was known for his futuristic tales, Ray Bradbury never used a computer. Now he once told the New York Times that the internet was meaningless. It wasn't until last year when Bradbury finally gave into his publisher and released Fahrenheit 451 as an eBook. Radbury, a giant of sci-fi and futurist literature. He died on Tuesday. He was 91.

And that is NEWS STREAM, but the news continues at CNN. "WORLD BUSINESS TODAY" is next.